This oral surgery is a reliable and safe
procedure in which to replace teeth, be it that you have lost
one or several. After you have submitted yourself to this
treatment, your new teeth will look and feel completely natural,
boosting your self confidence and helping you improve the
way you feel about yourself.

These implants conserve the proportions
of the entire facial outline and greatly diminish any difficulties
related to the loss of teeth. If you are self conscious about
your smile due to your missing teeth or if you are not comfortable
with chewing all kinds of food, this procedure is the perfect
option for you. Once you have finished this treatment, you
will be able to grin, talk and eat in complete comfort, enhancing
your self-esteem and the assurance with which you relate to
other people.

Dental implants are usually made
of surgical-grade titanium alloy and are shaped like a screw.
The reason for this is because this material does not react
harmfully with biological tissues and blends extremely well
with the bone.

This
is then introduced into the jaw bone and serves as an anchor
for the new tooth or prosthesis. It replaces the root portion
of the natural tooth (teeth) which is missing. Once it is
safely adhered, the implant is then used as the base for the
attachment of diverse kinds or dental restorations (eg: dentures,
bridges and dental crowns).

Due to their extended experience with this type of treatment,
the certified surgeons
at BetterLooks are aware of the different needs their diverse
patients have. Therefore, we offer top of the line technology
when it comes to dental treatments and all other type of procedures,
offering you the best service in the industry. Tooth loss
can occur due to several reasons, be it injury, decay or disease.
If you have experienced any of these causes, then a dental
implant is the ideal solution.

This treatment can replace one, several
or all your teeth and can it can be used in conjunction with
dental crowns and bridges. If you
are in good oral and general health, you are an ideal aspirant
for this procedure. The best candidates are free of periodontal
disease and have healthy gums. Keep in mind that your health
is the determining factor to see if this surgery is right
for you, not your age. If you have sufficient health to have
a tooth extracted, then you are more than likely healthy enough
to have this surgery performed. You must keep in mind that
the people who submit themselves to this procedure need to
have supple bone in their jaw, since the implants will be
adhered to this. If this is not the case, then a
previous bone enhancement treatment can be performed prior
to the operation.

As with every other procedure, BetterLooks requires that their
patients have a detailed discussion with their oral surgeon
before the surgery is performed. By doing so, both parties
have the opportunity to contribute in the whole process and
to increase the client's level of satisfaction. When speaking
with your doctor, please feel free to talk openly and to express
your doubts as well as your expectations. Your surgeon will
help determine what isn't or what is possible to accomplish,
helping you to improve your looks in the best way possible.
In this initial discussion, your doctor will explain all that
the surgery implies, from where it will be performed, the
cost of the procedure, the risks it may entail, the recovery
process and every other detail so that you are completely
informed. All the different aspects of the surgery you are
willing to undertake must be extremely clear to you.

When preparing for your oral surgery in
Costa Rica, Better Looks will make sure to provide all the
best possible services during your procedure. We will arrange
for your transport and will offer the
best commodities during your dental recovery. All this can be
arranged previously with our organization. Make sure to ask
your doctor concerning the diverse details that the surgery
entails. For example, you should know if you should stop taking
certain medications or if you will need to refrain from drinking
or eating for a certain time period before your surgery.

Please inform your surgeon if you
are a smoker, since this may affect the procedure and the
healing process afterwards. Uncontrolled diabetics, heavy
drinkers, heavy teeth grinders and heave smokers are usually
not liable candidates for this type of surgery, since these
are the most common causes of dental implant failure.

Having
a good communication with your oral surgeon at all times will
help increase your level of satisfaction, therefore, please
do not hesitate to contact Better Looks since we will be more
than happy to help you with anything you need.

The whole surgery generally takes less than an hour to be
performed, since it can be done in an office and requires
the use of local anesthesia. However, if you are having more
than one implant inserted, it can take longer. The implant
is surgically placed into the jawbone; this can be done straight
away after the tooth is lost or after some time has passed.
Several bone enhancing surgeries can be performed preceding
the implant in case there is insufficient bone to hold the
titanium.

At the moment of implant or after
a certain period of healing, an abutment (which serves as
a base for a prosthetic tooth) is then attached to the implant.
Once the implant is screwed into place, the incisions are
closed with stitches and are allowed to heal. Usually, placements
in the upper jaw take around 6 months to completely recover,
while the ones made in the lower jaw take around 3 months.
In some cases, surgeons often fasten a transitional restoration
prosthesis to the implant, so that you are never without a
tooth (teeth).

Depending on your circumstances,
your recovery period can extend for a period of 3 to 6 months,
after which this temporal prosthesis is removed and replaced
by the final abutment. A removable
denture or a dental crown is
then adhered to this in the final phase. In the event of the
patient having insufficient bone structure to support the
implant, there are two side procedures which can be performed.
Bone grafting is the most common one, and it consists in the
removal of bone from a 'donor area' which is then placed inside
the jaw where the dental implant will be places. Usually,
the bone can be taken from another part of the mouth and is
performed by your dental surgeon.

However, bone can also be taken from
other parts of the body, such as the hips, and the process
needs to be performed at a hospital and by an orthopedic surgeon.
On the other hand, animals or artificial bone are other options
which can be considered. Bone grafting is generally done 8
months prior to the dental implant, since the graft needs
to be allowed to heal before performing the surgery.

The other solution for deficient jawbone structure is to utilize
sub-periosteal implants which are placed between the bone
and the gums. These implants are not placed inside the bone
and a CAT scan is generally performed to obtain a replica
of the bone structure so that the implant is molded into a
specific fit. Keep in mind that the implant which was introduced
into your bone is completely permanent, but the prosthetic
teeth are not. These may have to be replaced in around 5 to
10 years.

After the surgery, you can expect some bleeding of your gums,
which can be generally controlled by biting down on some gauze.
Some swelling can also be anticipated, but it can be kept
to a minimum by using ice packs. Your gums will most likely
be sore for the next 7 to 10 days following the operation.
Your surgeon may prescribe some antibiotics during your recovery
period so that the risk of infection can be reduced to the
bare minimum. Most patients state that the discomfort felt
during and after this oral surgery is less than that of a tooth
extraction.

Therefore, you will be able to resume
normal activities, such are returning to work, the very next
day. However, you should refrain from participating in strenuous
activities that have a risk of injuring your face or mouth,
such as sports, for the first few days.

Dental
implants require the same meticulous at-home oral care are
your natural teeth, therefore, in order to keep them plaque-free
and clean, flossing and brushing must be applied regularly.
Also, during the first few months, your dentist will most
likely ask to see you more often to ensure proper the proper
healing and care for your implants.

Not many things can go wrong when it comes to dental implants.
Nonetheless, there is a risk of complication and you need
to be aware of this before you decide on taking the operation.
Sometimes, the implants may fail to incorporate into the bone
and may end up being rejected, and thus, they can break or
fracture. Problems can also result from the union between
the prosthesis and the implant. When a dental implant is rejected,
it is commonly replaced by a new implant, which is usually
larger than the previous one.

However, you must remember that this
condition happens in only 1-2% of the cases and replacements
come free of charge. Infections can sometimes happen as well,
and can result in the inflammation of the soft tissue and
sometimes in the jaw bone. There is also some risk related
to nerve damage in the nasal cavity.

However, you must keep in mind that
these complications are extremely rare and happen in less
than 5% of all surgeries and if they do happen, they are easily
corrected. The certified oral surgeons at Better Looks always give
their full efforts to prevent such difficulties from occurring.

The
information given in this website should be considered as
an introduction to dental implant surgeries. Before deciding
on submitting yourself to the procedure described above, we
highly recommend you contact BetterLooks directly, so we can
answer any specific question you might have.